Tobacco-granulating machine



(N0 M'odIJ) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' G. A. TURNER.

TOBACCO GRANULATING MACHINE.

No. 546,565. Patented Sept. 1'7, 1895,.

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GEORGE A. TURNER, OF ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

.TOBACCO-GRANULATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,565, datedSeptember 17, 1895.

Application filed May 18. 1895. fierial No. 549,801. (No model.)

To all whom it may concerm Be it known that I, GEORGE A. TURNER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county ofRoanoke and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Tobacco Granulating Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to tobacco-granulating machines, and has for itsobjects to improve the construction and capacityof such machines, avoidwaste and loss of tobacco by enabling it to be worked more economicallyand with less making of dust, and to largely increase the product withina given time by reason of the greater speed with which the tobacco maybe handled.

The invention consists in features of construction and novelcombinations of parts in a tobacco cutting and granulating machine, ashereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a planof my improved tobacco-granulating machine. Figs. 2 and 3 are elevationsfrom opposite sides. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of themachine. Fig. 5 is a view of the detachable top framesection.

ting-cylinder and its knives. Fig. 8 is a view of one of thesplitting-knives detached. Fig.

9 is a detail View of the feed and presser mechanism. Fig. 10 is a viewof the rotary tended diagonally about one-fourth around this cylinder 3and from end to end thereof is set a series of tobacco-splitters orsplittingknives 4, that are each about one inch and a half in length,say, one-eighth of an inch thick at the base or attaching portion, and

for the remainder of their width they are each hollow-ground to an edge,as shown. The knives 4 are arranged parallel with each other them in thecylinder 3, and they may be detachably secured therein by any suitablemeans, as by a metal strip 5screwed to the Figs.'6 and 7 are views ofthe out cylinder and bearing on the ends of the knife shanks in suchmanner as to hold the knives in place. The purpose of the series ofsplitters or knives 4-is to split into longitudinal strips the tobaccofed to the cylinder 3, as hereinafter explained. At. a point about orvery nearly opposite the diagonally-arranged series of splitters 4 thereis secured to the cylinder 3 adiagonally-placed cutting-blade 6 forcutting the strips of tobacco transversely. The cutting-blade 6 isextended diagonally about one-fourth around the cylinder and from end toend. The cutting-edge of the blade 6 is beveled underneath, and mayproject beyond the face or periphery of the cylinderabout one-eighth ofan inch. Each splitting-knife 4 may project fully one-fourth of an inchbeyond the cylinder-face.

There is arranged on the frame of the machine, in rear of and adjacentto the cylinder 3, a straight-edged cutter-bar 7 to co-act with thecutting-blade 6, that is carried by the cylinder. As thesplitting-knives 4 project beyond the cylinder farther than thecuttingblade 6, it is necessary to provide for the cutter-bar 7 anautomatic adjustment to and from the cylinder 3, so that at the properintervalsthe said cutter-bar 7 will occupy a suitable position for jointoperation with the cutting-blade 6 and at other times be moved back topermit free passage of the splittingknives 4, that rotate with thecylinder. For this purpose the cutter-bar 7 is arranged to have aforward and back movement in guideslots 8, provided in the sides of themachinefra'me. On the ends of the cutter-bar 7 are studs 9 forconnection with eccentric rods 10,

actuated from eccentrics 11 on the cylindershaft 2 in such manner as toautomatically fadjust the cutter-bar 7 in proper time movements withrelation to'the position of the cutting mechanism carried by the rotarycyllocated in rear of and slightly below the automatically-adjustablecutter-bar 7, and the said lower belt or apron 12 may be extendedrearward nearly or quite the entire length of the machine. The rearroller 16 may be provided with means for adjusting the tension of thebelt or apron 12, such as rods 17, attached at one end to thejournal-bearings of the rollershaft and their other ends resting insockets formed lengthwise in the frame 1, the said rods being eachthreaded a sufficient distance intermediate their ends and theirthreaded portions engaged in screw-taps or nuts 18, loosely supported bythe frame 1 in such manner that by turning said nuts the rods engagedtherewith will be moved longitudinally to adjust the connected roller 16forward or back and thereby give any required tension to the endlessbelt or apron. The lower belt or apron 12 is actuated from the roller14, the shaft of which has secured to one end a ratchet-wheel 19, withits teeth disposed in such direction as to permit the application ofpower from the rear for causing the upper face of the lower belt 12 tobe moved intermittently toward the cutting-cylinder. For this purposethere is fulcrumed to one side of the frame 1 a pawl-lever 20, carryingon its upper end a pawl 21, engaged with the upper rear portion of theratchet-wheel 19, and the lower end of the lever 20 is connected by arod or eccentric strap 22 with an eccentric 23 on the shaft 2 of thecutting-cylinder.

The upper endless belt or apron 13 is carried on rollers 21 and 25,journaled transversely in a removable framesection 26, mounted on theupper portion of the main frame. When the upper frame-section 26 is inposition, the forward roller 2st of the upper belt 13 will occupyposition above the forward roller 11 of the lower belt 12 and the rearupper roller 25 may occupy position above the intermediate lower roller15, with which the lower endless belt or apron 12 is preferablyprovided. The shaft of the front upper roller 21 has secured to one enda ratchet-wheel 27, having its teeth disposed in such direction as to beengaged by a pawl 28, carried by a lever 29, mounted on and actuatedfrom an eccentric 30 on the shaft 2 of the cutting-cylinder in suchmanner as to cause an intermittent movement of the lower face of theupper endless belt or apron 13 toward said cylinder. The topframe-section 26 is detachably secured to the main frame 1 by means offour bolts 31, extended vertically through both sections of the frame,there being two bolts on each side. The upper ends of the bolts 31 areheaded, and their lower ends have nuts 32 engaged therewith and arrangedas bearings for strong spiral springs 33, through which the topframe-section 26 and belt 13, mounted therein, will be caused to pressthe tobacco down as it is fed toward the cutting mechanism. lf desired,hooks or catches 3st may be arranged to engage the ends of the top section 26 with the main frame.

Above the automatically-adj ustable cutterbar 7 is arranged apresser-baror presser-foot 35, having its ends supported by and securedto angle-bars 36, that are adj ustably connected to the rearward ends ofa pair of levers 37, arranged on opposite sides of the frame 1 andhaving their forward ends pivoted thereto. Springs 38 are mounted on theframe 1 and arranged to force the presser-bar 35 down onto the tobaccoresting above the cutter-bar 7 when the latter is in its forwardposition. The levers 37 extend above and bear upon cams 39, carried onthe shaft 2 of the cuttingoylinder 3 and arranged to act on the levers37, so as to cause them to lift the prosser-bar 35 at proper intervals.

The leaf-tobacco to be granulated is untied and spread out upon theexposed surface of the lower traveling band or apron 12 and is carriedby and between the two feed-bands 12 and 13 to the cutter-bar 7 andbeneath the raised presser-bar 35, which works above the top of thecutter-bar 7 and holds the tobacco down after it has been fed forwarduntil the splitters 4 pass down through the tobacco, splitting itlongitudinally one-eighth of an inch deep and, say, at intervalsone-eighth of an inch apart. The cutter-bar 7 then moves forward, andthe tobacco is held down thereon by the presser-bar 35 until after thecuttingblade 6 comes around and cuts off smoothly and cleanly the endsof the split tobacco in lengths of,say, one-eighth of an inch, and thetobacco being thus out into uniform squares drops down between thecylinder 3 and cutter-bar 7 and into any suitable receptacle. Theratchet-wheels 19 and 27 may each have eighty teeth or notches one-halfinch apart, and each revolution of the cylinder 3 moves theratchet-wheels one notch. The rollers to which the ratchet-wheels areconnected will be about ten inches in circumference, so that eighty cutsof one-eighth inch each will be made during each revolution of theseratchetwheels.

Power may be applied to the cylinder-shaft 2 in any convenient orsuitable manner, as by a spur-gear 40, mounted thereon and having, say,twenty teeth or cogs meshing with a larger spur-gear 41, having, say,one hundred teeth, and mounted on a spindle secured to the main frame ofthe machine. The gear 41 may be provided with a crank for applyinghandpower, or instead of this gearing any other means may be providedfor giving motion to the machine. A balance or fly'wheel 42 may beplaced on one end of the cylinder-shaft.

For a large machine, adapted to granulate about ten thousand pounds oftobacco per day, the geared wheels may be replaced by a pulley placed onthe cylinder-shaft 2 and bolted to the band-Wheel of an engine. Thetobacco can with this machine be readily granulated or cut into squaresof one-eighth inch while in good tough handling orderandin such manneras to avoid the loss and expense of drying, with consequent conversionof a large part of ICC the tobacco'into dust, it being possible to saveat least ten per cent. of the stock, and the cutting of the tobaccointo'uniform squares in the manner described can be accomplished morerapidly than is usual in any similar processes for the granulation oftobacco, and no fiber or stems will be left in the granulated stocklonger than one-eighth of an inch.

The diagonally-arranged series of splittingknives 4 should project aboutone-fourth of an inch from the periphery of the cutting-cylinder, so asto properly split the tobacco, and in order that the cutter-bar 7 may beplaced close to the cylinder 3 in position for properly holdin g thetobacco to the action of the diagonallyarranged transverselycutting-blade 6, and yet avoid contact with the splitting-knives 4 thattravel in a larger circle than the blade 6, it is necessary to give thesaid cutter-bar 7 an automatic adjustment, as before explained. Justbefore the splitting-knives come around the feed of the tobacco takesplace between the two endless traveling bands or aprons 12 and 13 thenthe presser-bar 35 drops onto the tobacco over the cutter-bar 7 and thelatter slides backward under the action of its connected eccentricmechanism, thereby enabling the splitting-knives 4 to pass down throughthe tobacco without touching the cutter-bar, the presser-bar 35 meantimebeing still on the tobacco, holding it in its place, until the eccentricmovement again brings the cutter-bar 7 to the front under the tobaccoand within about one-eighth inch of the split-tobacco ends. Thediagonally-arranged cutting-blade 6, carried by the cylinder 3, nowcomes into proper position and shaves off the projecting ends of thetobacco strips with a shear cut along the entire length of thecutter-bar 7, from which the tobacco drops, out into square piecesone-eighth of an inch each way. The presser-bar 35 now rises to receivethe feed again, and the operations described are repeated.

The cut or granulated tobacco may be received in a chute 43, leading toone of the open ends of a rotary screen-cylinder 44 placed on a lowerfloor of the building. The rotary screen 44 is to be open at both endsand consists of a suitable framework having its pe-v riphery composed ofwire-cloth in different divisions of varying mesh. One division orsection 45 of the rotary screen 44 should consist of wire in meshes oftwenty-five or thirty to the square inch for separation of any fine dustmingled with the tobacco. The next section 46 should be woven with smallwire three strands close together and then a space of half an inch, andso on alternately throughout the length of the section, which is filledin longitudinally with wire strands one-twentieth of an inch apart. Thethird and last section 47 of the rotary screen may consist of six meshesto the inch each way. In the second section 46 of the rotary wire screenthe meshing is such that the granulated leaf-tobacco will pass throughedgewise, while the stems, being more-bulky, are carried farther alongand may escape through the last section of the screen.

In some instances it may be desirable to arrange beneath theantomatically-adjustable cutter-bar 7 a solid and rigidly-supportedbed-plate 48, secured by bracket-arms 49 to the inner sides of themachine-frame. There may also be secured to the machine-frame astationary plate 50, of thin metal, arranged above the top of themovable cutter-bar 7 to prevent the tobacco from getting behind andchoking the space between the lower feed-belt and saidautomatically-adjustable cutter-bar. A sufficient space is providedbetween the upper plate 50 and bed-plate 48 for the cutter-bar 7 to moveautomatically and with ease. The plates 48 and 50 are justoutside thecircuit of the splitting-knives 4, and when the splitting takes placethe tobacco is resting on the top plate 50 with the cutter-bar 7 underit and on a line with the front edges of both the top plate andbed-plate. Before the cutting-blade 6 comes around the cutter-bar 7-moves forward about one-eighth of an inch, and as the said blade passesthe cutter-bar the tobacco is cut off.

hat I claim as my invention is 1. In a tobacco-cutting or granulatingmachine, the combination with a rotary cylinder provided with a cuttingblade and with a series of splitting knives moving in a larger circlethan said cutting blade and projecting beyond the same, of anautomatically adjustable cutter-bar supported adjacent to said cylinderfor joint operation with the said cutting blade and knives,substantially as described.

2. In a tobacco-cutting or granulating machine, the combination with arotary cylinder provided with a cutting-blade and with a series ofsplitting knives moving in a larger circle than said cutting-blade andprojecting beyond the same, of a movable cutter-bar supported adjacentto said cylinder for joint operation with the cutting blade carriedthereon, and eccentric mechanism connecting said cutter-bar with theshaft of the said cylinder to automatically move said bar to and fromthe cylinder and out of the path of the splitting knives, substantiallyas described.

3. In a tobacco-cutting or granulating machine, the combination with arotary cylinder provided with a cutting-blade and with a series ofsplitting knives, of an automatically movable cutter-bar supportedadjacent to the said cylinder, eccentric mechanism connect- IIO videdwith a cutting-blade and with a series of splitting knives, anautomatically adj ustable cutter-bar actuated from the cylindershaft,and a yielding presser-bar provided with cam-actuated lifting mechanism,of two endless feed bands arranged one above the other and mounted onthe rollers, ratchetwheels secured to rollers of said feed bands, andpawl mechanism engaged with said ratchet wheels and actuated from thecyli ndershaft, substantially as described.

5. In a tobacco-cutting or granulating machine, the combination of aframe having a cutting-cylinder mounted in one end, a cutter-barsupported on said frame and automatically adjustable from the cylindershaft, a presser-bar arranged above the cutter-bar, means for actuatingsaid presser-bar, a lower endless feed band mounted in the main frameand actuated from the cylinder-shaft, an upper detachable frame sectionhaving an upper endless feed band mounted therein and actuated from thecylinder shaft, and spring pressed rods or bolts extended verticallythrough the main frame and upper frame section and adapted to cause theupper feed band to press down on the tobacco, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a tobacco-cutting or granulating machine, the combination of arotary cylinder provided with a cutting-blade and with a series ofsplitting knives moving in a larger circle than said cutting blade andprojecting beyond the same, an automatically adjustable cutter-barsupported adjacent to said cylinder for joint operation with thecutting-blade and knives carried thereon, means for auto maticallyadjusting the said cutter-bar, and a stationary plate supported abovesaid outter-bar and outside the circuit of the splitting knives carriedby the cylinder, substantially as described.

7. In a tobacco-cutting or granulating machine, the combination of arotary cylinder provided with a cutting-blade and with a series ofsplitting knives, an automatically adjustable cutter-bar arranged forjoint operation with the cutting-blade and knives carried on the rotarycylinder, a stationary bedplate below said movable cutter-bar, astationary top plate above the movable cutterbar, said bed plate and topplate being outside the circuit of the splitting knives carried by thecylinder, and means for automatically moving the adjustable cutter-barto and from the cylinder and out of the path of the splitting knives,substantially as described.

8. In a tobaccocutting or granulating machine, the combination of arotary cylinder provided with a cutting-blade and a series of splittingknives, an automatically adjustable cutter-bar for joint operation withthe cutting-blade and knives, means for automatically adjusting saidcutter-bar, a stationary plate above said cutter-bar, a yieldingpresser-bar above said plate, and the endless feed bands, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and aifixed my seal inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. TURNER.

\Vitnesses:

J NO. 11. WRIGHT, B. LACY HOGE.

